The Underground Tides Will Turn!
Geothermal Power
By Rebecca Jarrell and Audrey Bransfield
Terms you may want to know!
Turbine: A device that converts steam to electricity by having its many blades spun by the force of the steam, which convert the energy into chemical potential energy. [5]
Generator: A device that converts chemical potential energy into electrical energy and sends it out to people who need power. [6]
Injection Well: A device that returns waste water that was not used to the earth and to direct heat users [7]
Cooling Tower: An establishment which converts air and waste water to air and water vapor. [8]
Geothermal Reservoir: A surplus of hot water beneath the Earth's surface, from which geothermal power can be harvested.
Kinetic Energy: This energy is associated with the movement of particles and/or objects, such as the flow of water in the Geothermal reservoir.
Electrical Current: The power that the turbine and generator turn the steam into. (see electrical energy)
Electrical Energy: The type of energy that the steam is converted into. (see electrical current)
Chemical Potential Energy: This energy is stored in the chemical bonds of atoms and compounds, such as those in the water from the Geothermal Resevoir.
Energy: The capacity to accomplish a task. This can come from the energy in the water.
Heat Energy: The energy associated with the random motion of particles, such as those of the hot water or the steam.
Heat Conduction: The transfer of heat from an object at a higher temperature to an object at a lower temperature, such as when the unused steam and water enter the cooling tower.
Heat Convection: The transfer of heat through the motion of a fluid, such as the steam or the hot water.
Geyser: A large hole in the ground, from which hot water from a Geothermal reservoir spouts [youtube video number one]
Power: The rate at which energy is transferred per time. (Measured by watts)
A Geothermal Power plant in Iceland
Watt: The SI unit of power; abbreviated W.
Joule: The SI unit of energy; abbriviated J
Newton: The SI unit of force; abbreviated N
Atom: The smallest componet of an element, as well as what starts to move faster when that element is heated.
Chemical Reaction: The process by which substances are changed into different substences, such as when water is changed to steam.
Efficiancy: The ratio of the energy delivered by a device to the energy supplied for its operation.
Law of Conservation of Energy: "Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, although it can be transferred or transformed."
A Geothermal Power Plant
The Steps to Producing Geothermal Power (using a flash steam-generator)! [1]
1. Hot water rises from the Geothermal resevor.
2. The hot water enters the separator
3. The hot water becomes stream and rises as the waste water flows through the injection well and also to direct heat users.
4. The steam that is used enters the turbine, which begins to power the generator which produces electricity, which is sent out to homes and pools etc.
5. The steam, after having been used by the turbine, sinks to the injection well and/or to direct heat users.
6. Meanwhile, air and water flow into the cooling tower and are circulated until they are released as air and water vapor.
Conservation of Energy
1. Heat and chemical potential energy changes to kinetic energy as the water rises.
2. There is a chemical reaction as the water changes to steam.
3. The water sent to direct heat users is converted into chemical potential energy.
4. The kinetic energy from the steam is converted into electrical energy by the turbine.
5. The water sent to the direct heat users is converted into chemical potential energy.
6. Heat convection is used when the steam and water enter the cooling tower.
ARTICLE!
[[@http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/A-clean-energy-source-feels-the-heat-pd20100407-49VHN?OpenDocument&src=sph | "A Clean Energy Source Feels the Heat"]] We can learn that the Geothermal industry has found a geyser and wants to drill into it but the government will not fund them. This shows the difficult process which the Geothermal experts have to go through to achieve the ability to drill now.
Geothermal Power
By Rebecca Jarrell and Audrey Bransfield
Terms you may want to know!
Turbine: A device that converts steam to electricity by having its many blades spun by the force of the steam, which convert the energy into chemical potential energy. [5]
Generator: A device that converts chemical potential energy into electrical energy and sends it out to people who need power. [6]
Injection Well: A device that returns waste water that was not used to the earth and to direct heat users [7]
Cooling Tower: An establishment which converts air and waste water to air and water vapor. [8]
Geothermal Reservoir: A surplus of hot water beneath the Earth's surface, from which geothermal power can be harvested.
Kinetic Energy: This energy is associated with the movement of particles and/or objects, such as the flow of water in the Geothermal reservoir.
Electrical Current: The power that the turbine and generator turn the steam into. (see electrical energy)
Electrical Energy: The type of energy that the steam is converted into. (see electrical current)
Chemical Potential Energy: This energy is stored in the chemical bonds of atoms and compounds, such as those in the water from the Geothermal Resevoir.
Energy: The capacity to accomplish a task. This can come from the energy in the water.
Heat Energy: The energy associated with the random motion of particles, such as those of the hot water or the steam.
Heat Conduction: The transfer of heat from an object at a higher temperature to an object at a lower temperature, such as when the unused steam and water enter the cooling tower.
Heat Convection: The transfer of heat through the motion of a fluid, such as the steam or the hot water.
Geyser: A large hole in the ground, from which hot water from a Geothermal reservoir spouts [youtube video number one]
Power: The rate at which energy is transferred per time. (Measured by watts)
Watt: The SI unit of power; abbreviated W.
Joule: The SI unit of energy; abbriviated J
Newton: The SI unit of force; abbreviated N
Atom: The smallest componet of an element, as well as what starts to move faster when that element is heated.
Chemical Reaction: The process by which substances are changed into different substences, such as when water is changed to steam.
Efficiancy: The ratio of the energy delivered by a device to the energy supplied for its operation.
Law of Conservation of Energy: "Energy cannot be created nor destroyed, although it can be transferred or transformed."
The Steps to Producing Geothermal Power (using a flash steam-generator)! [1]
1. Hot water rises from the Geothermal resevor.
2. The hot water enters the separator
3. The hot water becomes stream and rises as the waste water flows through the injection well and also to direct heat users.
4. The steam that is used enters the turbine, which begins to power the generator which produces electricity, which is sent out to homes and pools etc.
5. The steam, after having been used by the turbine, sinks to the injection well and/or to direct heat users.
6. Meanwhile, air and water flow into the cooling tower and are circulated until they are released as air and water vapor.
Conservation of Energy
1. Heat and chemical potential energy changes to kinetic energy as the water rises.
2. There is a chemical reaction as the water changes to steam.
3. The water sent to direct heat users is converted into chemical potential energy.
4. The kinetic energy from the steam is converted into electrical energy by the turbine.
5. The water sent to the direct heat users is converted into chemical potential energy.
6. Heat convection is used when the steam and water enter the cooling tower.
ARTICLE!
[[@http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/A-clean-energy-source-feels-the-heat-pd20100407-49VHN?OpenDocument&src=sph | "A Clean Energy Source Feels the Heat"]] We can learn that the Geothermal industry has found a geyser and wants to drill into it but the government will not fund them. This shows the difficult process which the Geothermal experts have to go through to achieve the ability to drill now.
Videos!
See how Geothermal Power is used in Iceland! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRAQrDduaU0)
See how Geothermal power is harvested and used in the virtual tour of a power plant!
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfUQy86ZMpQ&feature=player_embedded#)
1. When the water rises from the Geothermal reservoir, it takes no power form
Some ADVANTAGES of Geothermal Power are:
Some DISADVANTAGES of Geothermal Power are:
Sources Used:
[1] Morris, Neil. Geothermal Power. MN. Smart Apple Media. 2007
[2] http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/00/2008-05-19_07_Krafla_Geothermal_Power_Plant.jpg
[3] www.flickr.com/photos/ 87913776@N00/460358026/
[4] Turbine.2010. Dictioinary.com. 2 Apr. 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/turbine>
[5] Generator. 2010. Dictioinary.com. 2 Apr. 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/generator>
[6] Injection Well. 2010. Dictioinary.com. 2 Apr. 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/injection+well>
[7] Cooling Tower. 2010. Dictioinary.com. 2 Apr. 2010. <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Cooling+Tower>